1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus for cooling solid materials of high temperature, and more particularly, to an apparatus for cooling solids such as steel slabs.
2. Description of the Prior Art
During the production of steel within an ironworks, the material is treated through multiple heating and cooling steps. The method of cooling steel varies depending upon the type of steel being processed. For instance, steel material in slab form or the like, as processed by a blooming mill, and having heat of about 1000.degree. C. and sent to a cooling yard and cooled down to about 100.degree. C. prior to being sent to the next processing stage, is cooled by cooling processes which fall into three categories. Slow cooling is required for alloy steel and high carbon steels. Air cooling is required for middle carbon steels, and water cooling at high speed is required for low carbon steels.
The reason why alloy steels and high carbon steels may not be water cooled is because:
A. By water-cooling, the steel is hardened and becomes liable to be cracked during the cooling by the transformation stress, and accordingly, it is difficult to treat the surface after water-cooling. PA1 B. Small internal defects called white spots are produced. PA1 C. The formation of cracks is accelerated by the thermal stress caused by the temperature difference between the surface and the interior of the steel body being processed, and the thicker the material, the more sensitive the steel is to the formation of cracks.
The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for the cooling of solid material at high temperature, such as high carbon steel members.